


Out of sight, not out of mind

by warabiii_mochii



Category: Produce 101 (TV)
Genre: Age Difference, Fluff, M/M, they are so adorale tgt, watch ep 5 yall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-29 02:20:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10844463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/warabiii_mochii/pseuds/warabiii_mochii
Summary: When Guanlin was nine, he wanted to learn some magic tricks. Now he's seventeen, he still does.





	Out of sight, not out of mind

  
Guanlin was nine when he was first invited to a party. Actually, it was more like a neighbor gathering because the Chou family held a birthday party for their youngest daughter and all parents and their kids got invited, especially Guanlin's mom and dad just moved there for a week so they were more than welcome.

Guanlin had always been a quiet child, he wasn't shy around strangers regardless they are adults or kids, but he didn't talk much. Somehow, even his mom caught on once, thinking her son is quite different from other boys. It was obvious when Guanlin silently removed himself from the group of elementary kids, kicking around a football in the backyard. Now, the boy was just shoving his hands into his hoodie’s pockets while aimlessly wandering around the colourful pansies that Mrs. Chou took so much pride in, alone.

Guanlin didn't know his mom was watching from inside the house, feeling a slight tingle in her chest. She was pretending to have fun chatting with the new neighbors while seeing her boy all by himself when other kids were having fun running around, yelling each other's names and yet, no one seemed to care about that scene.

And Guanlin also had no idea how his mom's face lit up with a smile when a lanky older boy walked up to him.

 _“Oh that’s Longguo, the Jin’s only son and he’s nice一Wait, where did you get this bracelet?”_   A lady who had slided closer and was watching the boys with Guanlin’s mom, answering to her curiosity.

Said boy, Longguo, waved his hand in front of the nine-year-old boy and joined him. His approach was friendly and easy, and Guanlin smiled back at him as they walked side by side together, flopping down to the ground to pet Mrs. Chou’s fluffy cat sleeping on the swing at the corner of the garden.

 _“Can I go to your house tomorrow?”_   Guanlin asked the older boy with full excitement in his voice.

The elder was so cool when he was showing off some of his magic tricks, only with his hands and a coin. Guanlin also has a cousin, who also in the same grade as Longguo, but he couldn’t do anything like the latter did. He, without a doubt, was the coolest person Guanlin had ever met.

_“I’m sorry, Guanlin, but I won’t be home tomorrow.”_

_“Why? Tomorrow is Sunday. Why are you going to school on a Sunday?”_   The younger asked sadly, a small pout forming on his lips. He was hoping to see Longguo perform his tricks again and maybe he could teach him as well.

  
_“Who said about going to school on Sunday?”_   Longguo let out a very audible laugh and pat the younger’s shoulder, _“I have to go back to Korea tomorrow, I’m not living here.”_

 _“Can I go to Korea too?”_   Guanlin asked with hopeful eyes.

 _“You could,”_   Longguo laughed again and Guanlin noticed; this big brother had a really funny laugh.

He bent close to Guanlin’s side, smiling so wide that it made his eyes almost disappear. He smelled a bit like cinnamon too, which Gualin doubted if his nose had some problems (because they didn’t have cinnamon tea or cookies at the party). That was irrelevant, though, now Guanlin only care about how to get to Korea.

_“You could, Guanlin, but not now.”_

Guanlin held his head low, pout never leaving his lips. However, the nine-year-old boy is determined. He couldn’t give up the idea of hanging around such a cool friend like Longguo. He had to think of something.

_“Then when? When I’m at your age?”_

_“I don’t know.”_   Longguo answered truthfully. He didn’t know how to explain it to the kid. Guanlin is cute and Longguo didn’t want to disappoint him. _“Let’s see, when you reach high school, maybe you can go to Korea.”_

 _“Really?”_   Guanlin’s eyes lit up, voice almost shouting before he bursted into fit of giggles. Longguo couldn’t help but crack a smile out of sheer relief that the kid won’t be sad by this time tomorrow.

_“You have to promise.”_

_“Promise?”_   The elder blinked his eyes in curiosity.

 _“When I go to Korea, you have to play with me and teach me how to make my thumb disappear!”_   Guanlin made some clumsy hand gestures and Longguo nodded his head.

  
_“I promise, kiddo.”_

 

  
***

 

  
Longguo was walking alone back to the dorm when a group of D level trainees walked past him to the cafeteria for dinner. “Such stupid and cruel rules.” Longguo mumbled with a sigh escaping past his lips.

Right at that moment, he felt a gaze scorching through his back. He didn't have to turn around to see if anyone was watching him. He had already guessed, it must be the Taiwan kid, Lai Guanlin, again. Longguo has no idea why that kid has some sort of weird interest in him.

At first, Longguo thought the kid saw him as an opponent; some kind of rival, but that did not make any sense when they weren't put in the same rank. Heck, they never even talked before the show started. If Longguo had to confess, then he would admit that he was kind of intimidated by Guanlin’s presence a bit. Despite being literally a high schooler, Guanlin has the aura and a stare that could send shivers down anyone's spine.

It wasn’t long for Longguo to start stealing some glances at the younger. During the time they had gathered at the main room, when they were practicing for It’s Me stage, he saw the tall kid always sticking next to another tall kid from the same company, chatting and making silly faces at times during their quick breaks. Longguo saw him laugh at the other kid's joke and thought that's the most adorable and genuine, yet contagious laugh he's seen around here.

A laugh that could lit up and change the whole room's atmosphere. Longguo can't help but feel the corner of his lips curling up into a smile.

Now, Longguo just assumed Guanlin knows he's Chinese and wanted to say something to him. So what Longguo did was pick the younger to form his team for the first mission. That was the plan but, they rarely talked to each other. It was another case when their eyes would meet, Longguo no longer felt like being stared at anymore. Instead, he felt something between confusing and impatient in Guanlin's soft, sulky gaze.

It still gave him an uneasy sense of apprehension in the pit of his stomach.

Longguo doesn't like distraction, and the fact Guanlin always kept drifting his gaze back and forth at him makes him nervous. It became more obvious and he started questioning why nobody said anything about the kid's attitude towards him. Longguo was hoping Dongho, being as strict and blunt as he always is, or Sangbin as their leader, would point out and make the kid drop that fixed gaze but neither Dongho nor Sangbin paid any attention to his issue. Longguo thought he has to find a way to talk to Guanlin.

That is why, Longguo rushed after Guanlin when Sangbin had announced they would have a ten minute break before they start vocal practice. He found himself awkwardly standing behind Guanlin when the younger was buying himself a Pocari bottle.

 _“Hey,”_   Longguo started nervously, gathering all his strength to catch Guanlin’s attention. He wasn’t usually the one to approach people in the first place. (Although it was a different case when he was still a child).

 _“Hey, hyung, do you want one?”_   Guanlin smiled widely, not looking surprised to find the elder standing next to him.

 _“No, well, uhm…”_   Longguo trailed off, not knowing how to put this into a conversation. There was a short pause before he brushed it off. _“Nevermind, I’m not thirsty.”_

He wanted to go back to their practice room immediately. This isn’t right. It might just be him and his paranoid feelings all along.

 _“Then why are you here?”_   He felt Guanlin’s gaze again, this time it was trailing to his hair. _“You have something, there.”_

The older couldn’t move an inch when Guanlin moved closer into his personal space while touching his hair. At this gap, the kid is so much taller than he is. Longguo could feel his warm breath lightly brushing across his ear, making him snap back to reality and take a step back.

 _“Do you have any problem with me?”_   Longguo bit his lips. This came out more absurd than he thought and he saw the lost look on Guanlin, making him feel worse.

_“I don’t, hyung, what do you mean?”_

_“Look, Guanlin, I’m sorry if I misunderstood you. I’m really sorry一We should go back to practice.”_ Longguo didn’t look at Guanlin and intended to walk away from the other. But Guanlin, unexpectedly, spoke in Mandarin.

_“Why did you come to Korea?”_

_“What?”_   Longguo was taken aback by Guanlin’s sudden change of language and tone, but he managed to not stutter. _“Why do you ask?”_

 _“I came to Korea because I wanted to dance, and I thought I could meet my old friend again, you know. He’s five years older than me and he’s really cool. Really, really, really cool.”_   The younger paused but Longguo didn’t respond so Guanlin continued. _“He even promised that when I grow up, I could come to Korea then he would teach me how to make my thumb disappear. But now that I’m here and I’ve already met him, he ignored me. It’s so uncool of him.”_

It only took a few seconds for Longguo to fully understand what Guanlin was talking about because there has been only one boy who was so determined and insisted Longguo to teach him his magic hand trick, in which he so proudly called “how to make a thumb disappear”. But that was when he was fourteen and to this day, he had never gone back to China. He just had no idea but at this moment, standing in front of the kid who now has grown into a giant teenager yet still got his childlike sparkling smile, Longguo felt like he’s at fault.

 _“I...I’m sorry, Guanlin. I should have recognized you but you changed… a lot.”_   Longguo mumbled.

 _“Of course, no one stays the same like you do, you didn’t even get any taller than you were.”_   Guanlin continued to raise his voice and by that, all Longguo’s guilt were washed away. He wanted to punch this kid so much, Guanlin wasn’t arrogant like this when he was a kid.

_“Shut up, kiddo. My height’s just right.”_

_“I’m still taller than you and I will be taller than I am now. You’re short.”_

_“If you continue, Guanlin, I will never teach you any tricks.”_   Longguo threathened with a deadpanned tone. He felt so satisfied when Guanlin’s smug face fell off.

_“But you promised!”_

_“And I’ll take it back if you don’t behave. Now call me hyung and stop talking in Chinese, Sangbin hyung is watching behind you. Actually, no, all of our teammates are.”_

Guanlin was about to protest but closed his mouth, turning around to see the other hyungs in his team, standing next to each other. All were confused except Dongho, amusement was written all over his face.

  
_“You two have passed our break time so we were looking for you. We didn’t mean to eavesdrop, okay?”_   Sangbin scratched the back of his head.

 _“What are they talking about, hyung?”_   Insoo, stood behind while he tried to lower his voice, asking but the whole group could hear anyway.

 _“Our maknae here just called Yongguk short, that was all I can hear.”_   Dongho maintained his serious face, eventually burst into laughter while the others joined him. It made the two foreigners die in complete embarrassment.

 _“I seriously should have just ignored you.”_   Longguo let out a long sigh, trying to walk as fast as possible while pretending not to see any of his teammates laughing like this is the funniest thing ever happened at this place.

Guanlin didn’t fire back and fastened his pace to match with the shorter male. This is better than any scenarios has run through his mind since the day Produce 101 started and then he saw his dear friend in the crowd. Longguo’s still cool to his eyes, Guanlin had also realized he is kinda cute when he’s ashamed. However, his sixth sense has told Guanlin not to mention this to the older or maybe he won’t ever be taught any magic tricks.

This time Guanlin has to make sure Longguo won’t go anywhere further than he could reach.

**Author's Note:**

> this is probably a ship no one expects but please everyone watch broduce lol ep 4 & 5 you will see the chemistry between these two
> 
> ALSO PLEASE SUPPORT MY UNDERRATED SHY FOX KIM YONGGUK HE DESERVES MORE LOVE AND ATTENTION :((
> 
>  
> 
> ***btw if you're reading this then, thank you again Rein, for saving this mess lol***


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